Soldier of Fortune
by spellbound130
Summary: REWRITE. An N7 sniper. A dedicated infantry NCO. A talented biotic officer. A krogan mercenary. A jaded turian cop. A quarian who could fix anything. A brilliant archaelogist. They were all soldiers of fortune, and fortune would bring them together on the eve of war.
1. Calm Before The Storm

**AN: **This is a complete rewrite of a previous story, and a lot of things have/will change. Long story short, ME3 was so awful it inspired me to start writing again. This fic is a retelling of the story of Commander Shepard and crew, but there are a few things that are not canon.  
1. I am trying to portray each character in a slightly different light than they are usually seen, while sticking to the core aspects of their personality.  
2. There will eventually be a Femshep/Ashley romance, but it will be done tastefully, so fear not. It was total BS that they made Kaidan available for ManShep in ME3 but not Ash for FemShep. Still, if it bothers you, move along.  
3. There are minor OC's (inspired by the crewmembers whose dogtags can be found at the Normandy Crash Site)

Also, since I'm assuming people who read this have played the games, I won't spend a lot of time methodically going through the missions (they'll obviously be included, but these are things that are knowns). I'd rather focus on the unknowns/ambiguities.

**AN2: **The first chapter is a prologue of sorts, a snippet of each of our heroes' lives on the eve of the events of Mass Effect. Just to be clear what's going on.

* * *

Through the unrelenting wind we march  
For our country, for our home  
Into hell we charge  
Onward we march  
To death, victory, and glory  
Soldiers of fortune, masters of war

* * *

Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko held his hand up in a closed fist, signaling the soldiers to wait. He got down on his stomach and crawled to the top of the hill. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the pirate camp in the valley below. Several humans and a few krogan paced the camp. There wasn't much – a couple of armored vehicles and a couple of mobile operations units. He rolled over onto his back and motioned for his men to divide into three groups and flank the camp from three sides.

His body glowed blue with raw biotic power as he raced down the hill, rifle in hands. As the stampede of Alliance soldiers sent the camp into chaos, Kaidan focused on the krogan. They would certainly cause casualties if not dealt with quickly. Summoning all the biotic fury he could muster, he launched a sphere of consolidated dark energy at the nearest krogan. The biotic warp did little to take down the armored behemoth's barrier, but it was something.

"Concentrate fire on the krogan!" He ordered amidst the chaos.

A scream rang out from somewhere close by. He briefly poked his head out from behind the armored vehicle he'd taken cover behind, just in time to see the krogan knock one of his men to the ground. The marine's weapon slid across the hard, rocky ground as the krogan lowered his shotgun, holding it point-blank against the soldier's face.

"No!" Kaidan shouted, leaping out from behind the vehicle and putting all his force into a biotic throw. The krogan flew a few feet backwards, but he was evidently a force to be reckoned with. Even with his barrier taken down, his injuries seemed to heal faster than the soldiers could shoot. Worse yet, Kaidan was beginning to feel himself weakening. Even with the augmented power of his carefully-controlled L2 implant, there was only so much a human could do against a krogan.

"Looks like you could use some help!" His XO appeared at his side, shotgun at the ready.

"I was getting to it…" Kaidan grunted.

Before he could say anything, the vanguard launched into the krogan with a biotic charge. The force knocked the krogan back yet again, giving them precious time to pump a few more bullets into his impossibly strong armor. Draining himself of every last ounce of willpower he could muster, Kaidan launched a final biotic warp field straight at the krogan. The sounds of gunfire and shouting began to blur as he focused on his target. Finally, the krogan fell.

As the gunfire ceased, Kaidan slumped to the ground, leaning his head back against the cold, dirt-caked metal of the armored vehicle. He was _done. _"Let's never do that again."

* * *

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams smiled, reaching over to grab her combat knife off the coffee table. She slid the blade through the packing tape and pulled open the flaps on the reinforced box. Sitting atop the array of neatly organized packages was a small holo-card.

_Merry Christmas Ash! Wish you could be here with us. Love, Mom, Abby, Lynn, and Sarah._

"Stuff from your family?"

Ashley turned to see her roommate, Gunnery Chief Allison Baxter, peering over her shoulder at the box.

"Yeah…" Ashley pulled out the first package and opened it. "Homemade blueberry muffins. You want one?"

"Hah, no thanks … too carby for me."

"Come on, Al, it's Christmas!" Ashley threw one of the cakes at Baxter.

Baxter laughed, taking a small bite out of the muffin. "You know, you're lucky to have such a great family."

"I don't know what I'd do without them," Ashley replied.

"They probably don't know what they'd do without you."

"I suppose that's true."

"You okay? You seem a little 'off' today, Ash."

"Yeah. I got a card from one of my buddies from basic. He landed an assignment as weapons specialist for the marine detail on the _SSV Bosworth Field. _Lucky bastard."

"You really wanna spend months at a time aboard a tiny, cramped, flying can of sardines where you eat nothing but beef and rice for every meal and have to share a sleeper pod with some grungy Earthborn kid who's unaware of the existence of deodorant?"

Ashley laughed. "Bad experience, Chief?"

"You… could say that," Baxter deflected, avoiding Ashley's gaze. "Look, Williams, we've been friends a long time – good friends, even, but there's something I never told you."

Ashley's expression turned to one of concern. "What's up, Al?"

"You ever wonder why they sent an N4 to a boring, backwater colony post?"

Ashley frowned. "I don't follow…"

"I did spend some time on a couple ships, Ash. Specifically, the _Passchendaele._ I fought at Torfan. And it messed me up, bad. War makes you do things you never dreamed you could."

"I read about that," Ashley turned her gaze toward the floor.

"You _read _about Torfan? Nothing that made it into the news even comes close to what it was like, Williams. Everyone who set foot on Torfan lost a part of themselves."

"I'm sorry, Al, I didn't know."

"No need to apologize, Ash. I'm just saying … you're a good soldier, but more than that, you've got a good heart. Don't be so quick to rush into battle – enjoy life while everything is still pure and fascinating. Your time will come."

* * *

Officer Garrus Vakarian crouched on his stomach, peering through the scope of his sniper rifle. He and his partner, Officer Corvan, were perched precariously atop a stack of storage crates, overlooking the transport docks. Slowly, their objectives appeared, scuttling out from the maze of crates. A lone salarian approached a group of three krogan.

"Well, the bastard's got balls," Corvan whispered.

Garrus glared at the other turian. "Shh…"

They watched intently as the salarian produced a datapad and handed it to one of the krogan. Garrus strained his ears to hear, but they were far away. _What the hell is going on? This was supposed to be an arms deal – the datapad must have coordinates to a cache!_ They needed to get it! As Garrus realized what was going on, the krogan and salarian exchanged nods and turned to part ways. Thinking quickly, the turian leaped down amidst the crates, his pistol at the ready, and sprinted towards the salarian.

"Vakarian, no!" Corvan began, but it was too late.

"C-Sec! Get out of here!" The shouts of krogan and the crashing of metal on metal echoed through the storage docks.

When Corvan finally reached the scene, Garrus' armored, scaly forearm pressed the salarian against a wall. His pistol hovered inches from the salarian's face.

"Where is it?" Garrus growled, his mandibles flaring as he spoke.

"I don't know what you're talking ab—" the salarian stammered.

"We _know _what you're up to!" Garrus shouted. "You can't—"

"Vakarian!"

Garrus and the salarian both turned to see Corvan standing several meters away, his hand on his pistol, ready to draw.

"If he won't tell us where it is, there's no reason for him to stay alive. We could just end his terror right now – throw him out an airlock. No one will be the wiser."

"It's not _right, _Vakarian," Corvan shouted. "Let him go. We have nothing to hold him on."

Garrus let out an exasperated grunt as he abruptly released his hold on the salarian. The thin, feeble figure crumpled to the floor.

"We'll get him eventually," Corvan tried to reassure his frustrated partner.

"Will we?" Garrus shot back.

* * *

Tali Zorah nar'Rayya was overwhelmed with a maelstrom of emotions – wonder, fear, excitement, apprehension – as she stepped off the shuttle onto the gleaming steel-blue floor of the Citadel. She'd never seen so many people – or so many different species in one place, for that matter. After all, many of the other races regarded the quarians with a degree of apprehension.

"Move along, suit rat!" A human dock worker glared at her as he heaved fuel cables toward the shuttle. His face and hands were caked with grime, and his muscles bulged beneath his soot-coated t-shirt. A cigarette hung from his mouth, and a filthy baseball cap sat awkwardly on his head.

_Well, they didn't say it would be easy._

She needed a terminal, and a place to work. Preferably somewhere quiet. She moved hurriedly amidst the crowd of people, clutching the metal case at her side. Suddenly, she felt herself shoved powerfully aside as a turian plowed through the crowd. She reached out to stop herself from falling, inadvertently grabbing a human's arm in the process.

"Watch it!" He pushed her away.

After what seemed like an eternity of navigating crowds, she finally found the place she was looking for. "I need to use a terminal," she said.

"And I need to get laid," the human at the desk replied dryly. He didn't even look up.

"I said—"

"I heard you, lady – you got credits?"

Tali stared at the ground. She'd salvaged a few credit chits from dumpsters and storage containers, but as the quarians operated in isolation for the most part, she'd had no need for credits. Until now.

The human sighed. "Tell you what. Your kind are good with tech, right? I got a whole crap ton of broken parts that might be worth something if they were... not broken. You fix a few of those up, and I'll let you use a terminal."

_It was better than nothing._ "Okay."

The human showed her to a workstation and heaved a tub of random devices – all in various states of disrepair – onto one end. She said nothing as she pulled the first object out. A simple multiphase induction assembly. _Should be easy enough to fix. _A food-station VI interface. Tali studied it with a puzzled look. She fixed it, ignoring the obnoxious audio-loops. A robotic door arm … she wasn't sure what type of ship it had come from, but she could fix it.

It wasn't long before she'd worked her way through the entire array of miscellaneous objects. As promised, the human led her to a terminal. Looking around cautiously, she opened the case that had never left her side. A small silver sphere with a single cable port sat inside. As she connected the geth's memory core and pulled the files into the terminal interface, nothing could prepare her for what she was about to find.

* * *

Dr. Liara T'Soni knelt amidst the dirt and gravel of Therum's desolate surface, examining the metallic shard in her hands. There was writing on it, but it was only a fragment. _This was definitely a Prothean colony. _"Iriya?" She called out to her assistant. "Can you tag this sample and take it back to the storage container?"

"Yes, doctor," Iriya made no effort to conceal the tone of annoyance in her voice – Liara was only three years older, and she hated being bossed around by someone who, as far as she was concerned, was her societal equal. Furthermore, she thought interest in the Protheans to be a childish pursuit. What was the _point _of learning about an extinct species? Real archaeologists studied the origins of cultures that existed today, not ones that disappeared ages ago.

Liara stood and stared out over the rocky landscape. Therum was a maze of jagged towers of rhyolite, jutting up towards the pale orange sky. In the distance, the low rumbling of volcanism echoed through the thin but stable nitrogen and carbon dioxide atmosphere. Far above the surface, powerful winds carried plumes of volcanic ash through the sky, leaving intricate, winding trails in their wake. Ahead of her, a path through the imposing spires seemed to lure her. She wasn't particularly worried about running into any other living being on Therum, but she still exercised caution as she proceeded forward.

The path led up a hill, over a small escarpment, and into a vast, flat basin flanked by steep, imposing walls on all sides. She spotted something – the glint of orange light on metal – about halfway up the wall. Taking care with each move, she scrambled up amidst the fractured rocks toward the object. Reaching a ledge, she steadied herself against the rock wall as she touched the object. It appeared to be part of a long tube – she pulled it towards herself – a thunderous roar erupted as the wall began to give way. Liara jumped quickly to the side, grasping the sharp rocks and flattening herself against the wall. In a matter of seconds, it was over. The asari cautiously opened her eyes, staring down at the pile of talus and settling dust. Turning her gaze back to where the pipe had been, she simply gaped.

"Goddess…"

The sudden removal of thousands of years of tephra had revealed an intricate doorway. The writing on the faded, dirty walls was definitely Prothean. Eagerly, Liara proceeded forward into the ruin, excited about what she might discover in this ancient fortress of a species all but forgotten.

* * *

Urdnot Wrex shouted in fury as he charged at the other krogan, his shotgun drawn. Dull thuds sounded as the armored beasts collided – punching, kicking, scratching, and headbutting. Wrex found himself on his back, pinned by the other krogan. He quickly responded with a powerful headbutt – just enough to catch his foe off-guard. Throwing his adversary off, Wrex quickly rolled over, searching for his shotgun amidst the foliage. Too late. The other krogan had risen to his feet, and was pointing an assault rifle directly at Wrex. As the barrel erupted into a flash of light and the incessant _ratatatat _of automatic fire, Wrex dove behind a massive boulder.

"You messed with the wrong _hrakh_, Urdnot!" The other krogan roared.

"Evidently, so did you, since my employer sent me to kill you." Wrex's voice was low and determined.

"You're a fucking mercenary. A simple hired-gun. What do you know of loyalty to anyone?"

"Loyalty won't buy your life," Wrex growled as he drew a pistol and aligned the sights with his adversary's head. He fired quickly, not stopping until the weapon overheated. The precise shots were enough to stun the other krogan long enough for Wrex to sprint forward, tackling him to the ground. Wrex quickly rose to his feet, pointing his pistol again at the krogan who now lay panting on the damp, dirty grass.

"Kill me if you want. You know as well as I do we are all dying. People like you serve only to expedite the process."

"_I _didn't create the genophage. What exactly do you expect me to do about it?"

"You fight for credits. You'd fight alongside _turians _if they were the highest bidder."

"Not a chance in hell. And this conversation is getting boring. Your time's up."

Wrex pulled the trigger, executing his foe. Beneath the dead krogan's head, yellow-orange blood began to seep out, staining the dark green leaves and soaking into the dirt.

_Hah. _Wrex thought. _I'd fight with turians. Yeah right._

* * *

Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau leaned back in the soft leather chairs, his thoughts drifting everywhere but the giant tin can that was his current place of residence. _Damn, I need to get back out there,_ he thought. He closed his eyes, reminiscing about the "glory days" – sitting in the pilot's chair of the _SSV Los Angeles, _an imposing heavy cruiser that jetted through the void like an unstoppable charging krogan. Under his careful, calculated control, the _Los Angeles _had single-handedly taken out five mercenary ships in the Attican Traverse before being forced to retreat back to Citadel Space through the mass relay. His actions had made him the recipient of the Flight Expertise medal, but also landed him in an ocean of paperwork.

The brass was concerned about the … damage … that the _Los Angeles _had sustained during the battle.

_Evidently, getting a star on your shoulder-boards means you lose the ability to think_.

"Hey, Joker, what's happening?"

"Hey Cohen," Joker nodded at his old-time flight school buddy. "Not a lot. Buried up to my waist in paperwork you know."

Cohen laughed. "Yeah, I heard about what you did out in the Traverse. Drink?" He held two cans of cheap beer. Joker frowned at the dull green cans. "Elysian Wheat." _Colony beer tastes like horse piss compared to the stuff they got back on earth. At least it ain't that purple and red asari crap. _Being a starship pilot, Joker had seen quite a bit of the galaxy. And being an Alliance soldier, he had a fondness for liquor and was compelled to try the local brews at every port.

"Sure. I ain't going anywhere. So what you been up to since they sent us out into the wide open galaxy?"

"Been flying B-104 Peacemakers off the _Oppenheimer. _My first real operation was at Torfan … not much to say about that. Just glad I was safe in the cockpit of my bird."

"Lieutenant Moreau." A gruff voice called from the doorway.

"Yeah, wha—sir!" Joker scrambled to set the beer down and stand at attention – not an easy task considering his affliction, Vrolik's Syndrome, made his legs exceptionally unstable.

"As you were. Just wanted to let you know you've been reassigned."

"Sir?"

Admiral Hackett handed Joker a small datapad. The black screen was flashing the words "TOP SECRET CLEARANCE REQUIRED"

"Sir, this says I need a security—"

"That's been taken care of, Lieutenant."

* * *

The sun was peeking over the snow-covered peaks of the Wasatch Range as Lieutenant Alexandra Shepard bounded out the door of her apartment and embarked on her morning run through the quiet streets of the base. The orange light glinted off the fresh layer of frost that coated the streets; the air was cold and crisp. She loved the winters on Earth. Many of the colonies, while exotic in their landscapes and climates, were relatively monotonous. Earth had everything – deserts, mountains, jungles, coastlines, forests, plains – everything. It had been a good place for her to come back to after Torfan.

Salt Lake City was a booming metropolis, thanks to the construction of a major Alliance spaceport, but it was still close enough to the remaining pockets of wilderness of western North America that it was easy to get away for a weekend. _Not a bad place to be stuck while the Alliance figures out what to do with me, I suppose._

After a thorough investigation into some … unfortunate … allegations against her by her former CO – Staff Commander Patrick Kyle – Shepard had been cleared of all charges, but she feared that her career as an Alliance officer with any real responsibility was over. _You got 150 people killed, Shepard. Don't forget that._ The cold, bloody war with the batarians on the fringes of the Terminus Systems was slowly winding down, and there was no room for ruthless yet effective officers in Alliance command. _Not to mention they don't want your name popping up in any more news vids the batarians can see._

As she turned the corner, she winced slightly, remembering the headlines that had flooded the news channels. "Lt. Shepard: War Hero or War Criminal?" "Alliance Investigates Conduct of Platoon Leader on Torfan." "Hegemony Promises Retribution For Alleged Murder of Batarians" "'I'm not a murderer!' – Lt. Shepard."

That _bitch. _Khalisah bint-Sinan al-Jilani – the reporter from Westerlund News – had ambushed her the minute the transport docked at Arcturus. Exhausted from the 17-hour journey, despondent over the loss of 3/4 of an entire company, and exasperated from being berated by Commander Kyle, she'd snapped. The still of her face, piercing blue eyes on fire with rage, golden hair hanging loosely across her left eye, had been plastered across peacenik propaganda as evidence that Alliance soldiers were blood-hungry, xenophobic war hawks.

"Shepard?"

The voice startled her as she reached the front steps of her apartment, leaning forward and checking her watch. "Yeah?" She looked up, her deep breaths turning to pale steam in the winter air. "General? What are you doing here?"

"I got an assignment for you."

"With the 406th?" Shepard leaned over, grabbing her water bottle out of the snow bank and taking a swig.

"Nope." He handed her a datapad.

Shepard's face fell. She'd dedicated everything to that unit. _They're sending me to some colony shithole to command a fucking security detail. I _know _it._ Mentally bracing herself for the disappointment, she read the orders. "_SSV Normandy? _I've never heard of it…"

"It was built as part of a top-secret joint task-force venture with the turian military council—"

"_Turians? _You're shitting me, right? Sir, half the Alliance thinks I'm a xenophobe—"

"It's an _Alliance _ship, Shepard. In fact, Captain Anderson requested you personally."

"Yeah, I'm sure—wait. Captain Anderson? Captain _David_ Anderson?"

"That would be the one."

_Well, that's a relief. At least there's _someone _in the Alliance who still respects the N7 designation, even if it is another N7._

Shepard nodded. "So when do I ship out?"

"Zero-six-hundred local time tomorrow."

Shepard's eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you sir. It's been a pleasure serving with you."

"Likewise," the general began down the steps. "Oh, and one more thing. Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander."

Shepard gaped. _A posting on a starship _and _a promotion? What the hell happened to the Alliance who hated my guts?_


	2. Once A Marine

**Disclaimer:** Bioware owns all.

* * *

**03 January 2183 – **_**SSV Normandy **_**– Exodus Cluster – 1900 GST  
**

Commander Shepard stood in silence as she stared out the windows of the officers' lounge into the vast, empty void.

"Really makes you think, doesn't it?" A low voice came from her left.

"Sorry?" Shepard turned to face the voice's source: a tall, slender man with a pale complexion and jet black hair. He didn't look a day older than 20.

"Second Lieutenant Alexei Dubyansky," he introduced himself, snapping briefly to attention and saluting.

Shepard returned the salute. "Yeah, I guess it does," she replied after a long pause. "This your first space deployment, lieutenant?"

"Yes ma'am. I just graduated from the Systems Alliance Naval Academy. I oversee operation and maintenance of the Javelin Torpedo systems."

"Space is… mystifying at first, I suppose," Shepard continued. "Full of danger, adventure, and mystery. The final frontier and all that. But the danger is more real than you think, Dubyansky. Space can turn into a dark, cold abyss pretty quick."

"I'm sure," Dubyansky paused, avoiding Shepard's gaze. "After Torfan…"

Shepard cast the young officer a sideways glance. "Whatever you read, it doesn't even begin to describe what it was really like."

"My older brother died at Torfan."

Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"Private First Class Nikita Dubyansky. He was with the 57th Infantry."

Shepard stared at the man beside her. "Do you know which battalion?"

"Yes ma'am. He was with Foxtrot Company, a biotic combat unit of the 2nd battalion."

Shepard turned her gaze back towards the window, remaining silent. She finally spoke. "I was there. They… deployed at Bluepoint. It was one of the … more fortified … landing zones."

"You may not have known him, but he was a good man."

"A lot of good men died that day. Torfan changed everyone who set foot on it. Perhaps one day you'll understand."

"Losing my brother … it's why I _joined_, ma'am."

"You're an officer. Are you prepared to lose people who you're responsible for?"

"I… don't know."

"I didn't expect you to. Just keep that in mind, Lieutenant. I'm gonna head up to the op deck; see what Joker and Alenko are up to."

* * *

**04 January 2183 – Eden Prime Surface – 0824 GST  
**

"Up there, what the hell is _that?_" Jenkins pointed to the dim silhouette of a needle-shaped structure on the hill ahead.

"Comm tower, maybe? It's not Alliance," Shepard replied, analyzing the structure through the scope of her sniper rifle.

"Think it has to do with that ship on the video transmission?"

"It _definitely _does," Kaidan turned to the commander. "You want to radio Nihlus, see if he knows anything about it?"

Shepard nodded as she switched her comm channel. "Shepard to Nihlus. We've got a visual on some kind of communications tower, coordinates one-four-five point seven-niner, negative one-zero-one point zero-eight. It's definitely not Alliance. You have any idea what this thing is, over?"

"No, commander. I suggest proceeding with caution."

Shepard waited for a moment, analyzing her surroundings. Eden Prime was a nice place. Soft, deep green moss covered the mottled brown rocks. A gentle, clear stream trickled down the hill, coating the rocks with a thin sheen of water. Finally, she rolled her eyes, switching her comm back to the squad channel. "Damn turians and their lack of comm etiquette," she mumbled.

"Really, commander?"

Shepard turned back towards the tower. "Split up, we'll flank it from three sides. Go in hard and heavy. Whatever the hell killed all the marines down here ain't going down without a fight. I'll go left, Jenkins take right, Alenko take the middle."

Shepard sprinted forward, her boots pounding heavily on the damp grass, tightly holding her assault rifle with the barrel pointed towards the ground. Her form was perfect – Gunny Ellison would be proud. As she reached the top of the hill, gunfire erupted to her right. She turned just in time to see Jenkins fall backward as he reached the hill's apex, assaulted by two small drones hovering in front of the tower. Her surroundings blurred as she focused on the task of doing whatever it would take to keep her men alive. She switched her assault rifle to full auto as she raised it, aligning the barrel sights precisely with the first drone. The rifle kicked slightly as the stream of projectiles erupted from its barrel, but she was used to it; she quickly compensated, holding it steady.

As the drones exploded in small flashes of sparks, she raced toward Jenkins, where he lied in a crumpled heap on the lush grass of Eden Prime – his home. Kneeling by his side, she stared into his eyes as he looked up at her, helpless yet aware of his impending death.

"C-c-commander," he choked. As he spoke, blood trickled out of his mouth, staining his cheeks.

"Alenko?" Shepard looked at Kaidan, who now knelt opposite her on the other side of their wounded comrade.

Reaching into one of the pockets on his suit, Kaidan produced a small steel syringe. He jabbed it into Jenkins' leg, between the segments of heavy plating. The young soldier smiled weakly, staring at the yellow-orange sky as he passed into the next world.

"Ripped right through his shields," Kaidan said grimly as his fingers slid over Jenkins' eyelids, shutting them for the last time. "He never had a chance."

They moved past the hill, approaching a group of trees. More gunfire filled the silence, a stray round embedding itself in Shepard's left shoulder. _Shit._ She quickly jumped behind a tree, her back pressed against it, shielding her from the gunfire. Quickly turning, she fired a stream of bullets, taking down the drones.

Hastily, she keyed her omni-tool, activating her hardsuit's medi-gel dispersal, sealing the wound. Checking her rifle, she looked up ahead. Movement. Lots of it.

"Take it easy, Alenko," she ordered. Switching to her sniper rifle, she examined the situation ahead. A figure was moving quickly towards them. It stopped momentarily behind a rock, just long enough for Shepard to examine it in the crosshairs of her scope. It was a human.

_Goddamnit,_ Shepard exhaled sharply as she focused again on the far side of the clearing. Two more objects moved into view. She couldn't tell what they were, but they were bipedal and almost certainly synthetic – the wiring on their limbs glowed dimply as they moved through the clearing. Wasting no time, she aligned her crosshairs with the first figure's head – or whatever it had in place of a head. She pulled the trigger, and the figure collapsed into a pile of wires and metal.

Kaidan charged forward, his body glowing purplish-blue with raw biotic power. Swinging his left arm forward, he threw the second figure up against an outcrop of jagged boulders. Sparks flew from its body as it splayed on the rocks, and the sentinel fired his pistol several times in succession until the creature – whatever it was, lie in a pile of burning, sparking metal on the rocks before him.

"You hurt, soldier?" he asked as he approached the human crouching behind a rock.

"No, nothing beyond the usual bruises," she replied. She looked at the ground. _Why am I not more terrified? Those things just killed my entire unit. I guess dad was right, after all … things like this take a while to really set in when you're in the middle of a battle. _"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, 12th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Frontier Division."

Kaidan returned the salute. "Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, _SSV Normandy._" Touching his earpiece, he radioed the commander. "All clear here, Shepard."

Hopping down from her vantage point, Shepard jogged through the trees towards Kaidan and Ashley. Nodding, she introduced herself. "Lieutenant Commander Shepard, _SSV Normandy._ What's the situation here, Chief…?"

"Williams," Ashley replied hastily. "And, ah… everyone's dead, ma'am."

Shepard's eyes narrowed as she studied the soldier. The Arglen-X plating on her helmet was cracked; she wore a basic Phoenix I heavy-grade hardsuit and carried an M-7 Lancer. Her combat experience was, more than likely, minimal, as was probably the case for most of the marines here. _Still, it would take an incredibly talented force to overwhelm an entire platoon, no matter how green they were._ "Everyone?" Shepard asked, almost incredulously.

"Yes ma'am. We… they just came out of nowhere, that big ship… they killed everyone."

"Who's 'they?'"

"I…" she began. _No way. They won't believe it. I'm not sure _I _believe it. _"I think they're geth, ma'am."

"Impossible. The geth haven't been seen outside the veil in three-hundred—" Kaidan began.

"The only way to find out is to track them," Shepard offered, starting forward.

"You enjoy this," Kaidan mumbled as she passed him.

"You know it," Shepard smirked. She turned momentarily back to Ashley, who stood uncertainly by the rock. "What are you waiting for, soldier? Fall in!"

"Well, this is about eight different kinds of creepy," Shepard remarked as she kicked the remains of the husks aside. Moments earlier, the creatures – neither human nor synthetic – had swarmed them like mindless zombies risen from some unimaginable hell. "Is this what geth do to humans? Why?"

"It doesn't make sense," Kaidan stared at the ground. "Those things just ran towards us like chickens with their heads cut off, or something. They didn't use any real tactics or strategy like intelligent combatants."

"Maybe the geth are just using them as front-line meat shields?" Ashley offered.

"Nah, it's too simple. Something's missing," Shepard said. "Either way, we're not gonna figure it out sitting here. You two good to go?"

"Yeah," Kaidan stood up, chewing the last bite of his energy bar. "Wait," he said, motioning towards two metal shelters on their right. "Those shelters. The doors are sealed. There could be survivors inside."

Shepard and Ashley followed Kaidan, waiting with their weapons ready as he hacked the door's lock. The door slid open, and they heard gasps of terror as they stormed inside. Two scientists stood with their backs against the wall, their eyes wide with fear.

"Who the hell are you?" The woman demanded as the marines lowered their weapons.

"Someone who _isn't _shooting at you," Shepard retorted.

"We're Alliance," Kaidan interrupted, glancing sideways at Shepard. _For all the firepower and tactical mastery that woman packs, she's sure dense when it comes to diplomacy. _"Do you know what happened here?"

"No. It… it happened so fast. There was a ship, and then a noise … this awful noise … so loud, like it was right by my head, but no matter where I ran, I couldn't escape it."

"You know what kind of ship?"

"No. It wasn't like anything I've ever seen before. Not human. Not turian, asari, or salarian. It was huge. I don't know what they want."

"'They?'" Ashley inquired.

"I don't know. I was too busy trying not to get shot to get a good look at them—" the woman began.

"Don't you see?" The man interrupted, in a nasal, eerie voice. "The days of reckoning are upon us. They are the ones foretold to rise from the unknown, from within. They will be our judgment."

Shepard curiously eyed the man. He stood, slightly hunched over, of a thin and scrawny form. Patches of black dirt stained his red-and-white scientist's jumpsuit – probably souvenirs from his escape from the geth minutes prior.

"Really," Shepard spoke with a heavily sarcastic tone.

"They who refuse to face the truth will be the first to suffer. It was foretold, the fate of mankind—"

His ramblings were cut off by the collision of Shepard's fist with his jaw, knocking him out cold.

"What the hell?" The woman gasped.

Shepard's eyes narrowed; the commander said nothing. She turned to her companions. "Keep moving, it's clear we won't get anything useful here."

Ashley wasn't sure what to make of the situation. She wasn't sure what the two officers were doing here. She'd noticed the red "N7" emblazoned on Commander Shepard's armor, Alenko appeared to be a highly trained biotic – and the _SSV Normandy? _She didn't know of any ship by that name, at least not any that would be out in the Exodus Cluster. _It must have something to do with the beacon. Damnit, if I wasn't so tied down by my grandfather's … legacy … within the Alliance, maybe I'd have had access to information. Maybe I'd have been able to save my unit._

* * *

"Ok, so we've got geth, a dead spectre, possibly a rogue spectre, and a Prothean beacon. How the hell does all this fit together?" Kaidan wondered aloud as the tram to the loading docks inched forward.

Shepard stood in silence. "Let's take this one thing at a time," she said finally. "For starters, let's kill every geth we see down here."

Ashley grinned. _Payback time._

"We don't know how many geth could be down by the loading docks," Kaidan said. "We should proceed with caution."

"Either way, that's where we're headed," Shepard said wryly. "I've never fought AI's before … at least not like this. But perhaps…" she trailed off, keying her omni-tool. "I could try firing off some explosive pulses. In conventional warfare, they're used to disable shields and weapons, but they might be especially useful against geth, since their functionality is entirely dependent on tech systems."

"Worth a try, at least," Ashley said.

"That's right," Kaidan grinned. "I forgot you used to be a commando."

"Used to?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Might be a squid now, but once a marine, always a marine, right Williams?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ashley replied with gusto.

As they arrived at the loading docks, Shepard noticed the amalgamation of sleek metal tubes sitting adjacent the tram tracks. _Shit. _She ran a hazard-scan on her omni-tool, revealing three more bombs. "Cover me!" She ordered, fervently hacking the trigger mechanism and disabling the first bomb.

They raced across the catwalk to the loading docks, the metallic click of boots on titanium ringing loudly through the structure. After dispatching the last few geth and disarming the bombs, they cautiously approached the beacon.

It was like nothing Shepard had ever seen before. A tall, rust-colored spire with an intricately carved base, a green aura emanated from it. Shepard's eyes narrowed briefly, intrigued by the ancient technology. She turned away, radioing the _Normandy _with their coordinates.

"Whoa." Ashley stopped short, staring at the ancient artifact. "It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up."

Kaidan took a few cautious steps toward the beacon. "Something must have activated it…" he trailed off. A captivating, peaceful sound seemed to fill his head, drawing him towards it.

Suddenly, he found himself pulled uncontrollably towards it. He heard Ashley's voice, but it was muted and distant. Everything was blurry, as the voice began to overtake his consciousness. He felt almost nothing, but the next he knew, he was staring briefly into Shepard's bright blue eyes. Her face came into focus above him, the red sky behind her. He was on the cold metal floor of the loading docks. Then, Shepard was gone. He sat up, watching in horror as his commanding officer was now the one being pulled toward the beacon, powerless against its grasp.

"Shepard!" He cried, scrambling to his feet.

"No, don't touch her, it's too dangerous!" Ashley cautioned, holding him back.

Shepard felt detached from her body as it floated before the beacon. No longer was she on Eden Prime. Fires burned brightly in the suffocating darkness as cries echoed through the night. Beasts from the deepest reaches of hell howled as they stormed about, torturing and killing everything. Helpless creatures impaled on poles towering above the ruins set ablaze. Buildings crumbled, shaking the ground as they collapsed. A deafening roar shattered the air as a craft unlike any she'd ever seen slowly rose into the blackened sky.

And then, nothing.

* * *

**05 January 2183 – **_**SSV Normandy **_**– Sick Bay – 1641 GST  
**

Pain seared through Shepard's head as she tentatively opened her eyes. The familiar blue lights and gray ceiling of the medical bay came into focus. She breathed a brief sigh of relief. _Alenko. Williams. Did they make it out?_

"Doctor Chakwas! I think she's waking up!" Kaidan's voice seemed louder than it should be.

_Well that answers one question. _Shepard sat up, painfully.

"You had us worried, commander," the ship's ranking medical officer stepped forward. "How are you feeling?"

"Like the morning after shore leave," Shepard groaned, sitting forward. "How long was I out?"

"About fifteen hours—"

"Ugghh…" Shepard groaned. Overlooking the pain, her mind snapped back into focus. "The beacon. What happened to it?"

Kaidan turned his head away from her. "Uhh…" he trailed off.

"It exploded, ma'am," Ashley's voice came from the opposite side of the room, where she stood leaning against the wall.

"What?"

"It's my fault, ma'am, I must have done something when I approached it. You … pushed me out of the way, remember?" Kaidan said, sheepishly.

"Don't blame yourself, lieutenant," Shepard reassured him.

"Actually, we don't even know if that's what set it off," Chakwas interjected.

Shepard stared at the floor, trying to make sense of the mission. A man had died, and they didn't even get what they'd come for. On top of that, the vision from the beacon seemed ever-present in her mind, haunting her thoughts.

The door hissed open, and Captain Anderson, the _Normandy's _CO, stepped in. Ashley and Kaidan promptly snapped to attention, saluting him. "As you were," he instructed. "How's our XO holding up, doctor?"

"Physically, she's fine, but I detected some unusual brain activity. Similar to rapid-eye-movement."

Anderson turned to Ashley and Kaidan. "Dismissed."

"Aye, aye, sir," Kaidan replied. "We'll be in the mess if you need us."

Ashley followed Kaidan out of the sick bay and down the corridor to the mess hall. "You ever served on a starship before, Chief?"

"Wanted to, but … I suppose, like Shepard said, 'once a marine, always a marine.'" She deflected the inquiry, in no hurry to bring up what she knew to be the reason for her boring assignments.

"Well, consider this your first lesson in the ways of the 'squids,' as you like to call us," he smiled. "If you can't tell what it was _supposed _to be, don't eat it," he said as he dumped a serving of soggy, discolored green beans onto his plate.

"Aye, aye, sir," Ashley laughed, selecting a piece of chicken.

They filled their plates with food and sat down opposite each other at the end of the long table. Ashley wondered why Kaidan was choosing to eat with the enlisted personnel, but didn't raise the question. _He could just be trying to make me feel a little less intimidated … being on the most advanced ship in the Navy with a crew I don't know after just losing my entire unit on a mission that could turn out to be some really bad PR for the Alliance – yeah, that's not intimidating at all._

"So, where you from?" Kaidan asked, tearing a piece of tough, dry chicken off the bone with his teeth.

"I was born on Sirona," Ashley responded. "But my family lives on Amaterasu now. You?"

"I'm actually from Earth. Vancouver Island."

"I've seen pictures of the Cascades," Ashley said. "They look majestic."

"They are. My dad and I climbed Rainier when I was a teenager. It was … therapeutic."

"It's kind of funny – the first time I actually felt snow was in Infantry Training, on Asphodel."

Kaidan laughed. "So what's your family like? Got any brothers or sisters?"

"I'm the oldest of four girls."

"Wow … I'm an only child. I think my dad wanted a bigger family, but my folks went through a bit of a scare after my mom was exposed to eezo when a transport crashed in Singapore. Fortunately, I ended up a biotic prodigy, and escaped some of the … less favorable effects. You know, deformities, cancer, the like. Either way, it was stressful enough that my folks stopped after me."

"Damn. So is that why you joined? Because that's kind of 'the thing' for biotics to do?"

Kaidan sighed. "Ehh… yes and no. My father served in the Alliance, so that was the main reason. For better or for worse, here I am." He turned his head slightly as a tall man with dirty blond hair (cut in the military style) sat down next to him. His plate was loaded with beef stew, mashed potatoes, bread, green beans, and fruit salad. "You never cease to amaze me, Steelie."

"Steelie?" Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Service Chief Carlton Tucks," the man spoke with the tiniest hint of a drawl as he extended his arm across the table to shake Ashley's hand. "Weapons specialist. Folks call me 'Steelhead.' Or just, 'Steel.'"

"'Steelhead,'" Ashley repeated. "Where'd the nickname come from?"

"Spend enough time in the armory and maybe you'll learn the story," Tucks winked at Ashley.

Kaidan laughed.

The lighthearted conversation was interrupted by Commander Shepard, who groggily plopped her tray onto the table and took the last open seat next to Ashley. Kaidan studied her face. _Damn. _Despite having been unconscious for 15 hours, the woman looked as though she hadn't slept in days.

"We're going to the Citadel," Shepard mumbled. "Chief Williams, Anderson instructed me to inform you that he's putting paperwork to have you permanently reassigned to the _Normandy._"

"Yes ma'am," Ashley said, tentatively. She subtly tried to look at Shepard out of the corner of her eye. The commander's tone was virtually emotionless; it was impossible to tell if Shepard was happy or angry about having Ashley on board.

"We're having the security clearance process expedited," Shepard continued. "But until your credentials clear, the engineering deck is off limits, along with the intel rooms and aft torpedo rooms."

"Yes ma'am."

"You'll be replacing Corporal Jenkins as an ordnance technician. Small arms. Steel can show you around the armory in the morning. Alenko, get Williams on the sleeper pod schedule ASAP."

The soldiers continued to eat in silence. It was clear that Shepard's presence was causing some tension, but no one really knew what to do about it. Kaidan studied the commander as he meticulously cut his chicken. He'd known her to be standoffish, but this was more than usual. Was she _nervous?_ _What the hell did that beacon _do _to her?_


End file.
